Eighteen year old Ben smith from new Malden was gutted when Jonathan
Davis' illness necessitated the cancelling of Korn's show in London on
February first. Not only is Korn his favorite band but that night was to
be his first ever concert. Instead, tonight is, and he's beside himself
with excitement. After all, the saviors of new metal don't come around
every day.

By 6:30 pm the queue at the academy already stretches right around the
block, and bags of crisps are being dropped from the upstairs dressing
room into the throng. As soon as the doors open we see two young blokes
snogging and an extremely cheerful girl bestowing kisses upon absolutely
everyone. It seems that anyone who isn't wearing a Korn t-shirt is wearing
Adidas in Jonathan Davis' honour. Korn are fast becoming the biggest cult
band in the world.

Pre-Korn, Incubus' blend of funky beats and grinding guitars marks them
out as Korn-light, while the Urge's Fishbone-style ska punk is enlivened
by a hyperactive brass section. Infectious fun.

Korn's idea of fun is brutally cathartic. Halfway through the first
song, moshpits are forming just feet away from the bars at the back. Mark,
15 from Peckham, who saw the band at Donington last year, reckons this is
their best show to date. "Mad and chaotic" is his summary. He's right,
too. The atmosphere at the front is impossibly intense, with stage-divers
rolling over the barriers like homesick salmon. Tunes like 'Good God' and
'No Place to Hide' are superb, immersing everyone in wicked grooves and
churning guitars. The appearance of Davis' legendary bagpipes prior to the
killer double blow of 'Lowrider' and 'Shoots and Ladders' brings the
atmosphere to boiling point. Incredible. There's only one dissenting
voice: Anita from Essex reckons the band merely "all right", although she
admits she's "too pissed to care". But trust us, on this form the most
intoxicating band in new metal are unforgettable, untouchable and totally
unstoppable.